Coastline works to suffer over funds shortfall

RAMPANT erosion along several areas of Kerry’s coastline is set to continue unchecked in 2011 as the council has said it will spend no further money on such work until it receives €3 million it is owed by state agencies for work already carried out.

A total of €9m has been spent in recent years on emergency coastal protection works at Inch, in the Dingle Peninsula, and pier development works at Knightstown, Valentia. There are also problems at Rossbeigh Beach, where the sea broke through sand dunes creating an island more than two years ago, but there are no funds for this.

County manager Tom Curran said it could not commit to any further developments on coastal protection or fisheries infrastructure until it had been reimbursed for various projects.

However, the Government has introduced huge cuts in its funds for coast protection nationally.

The issue in Kerry has been highlighted by three councillors, Brendan Griffin and Seamus (Cosaí) Fitzgerald of Fine Gael, and Fianna Fáil’s Michael Cahill.

Mr Cahill accused a number of state agencies of ignoring the situation at Rossbeigh where upwards of 100 acres of a fragile sand dune environment has been washed away. “Rossbeigh is one of the finest beaches... but the urgent erosion problem there has been neglected by successive governments,” he said.

A new island has been created at the tip of the narrow Rossbeigh peninsula, creating an ever-widening gap with the mainland.

The total cost of works completed at Inch in 2007 was €3.91m and the projected cost of the pier development works at Knightstown is around €5m.

In late 2006, after a period of high tides and on-shore winds, the council had to commence the installation of a rock armour sea defence at Inch, as there was an imminent danger to users of the Killarney to Dingle road.

The Knightstown Harbour project arose from a need to provide safe berthage for the Valentia lifeboat and to allow it to be launched in all weathers and tidal conditions. Local fishermen had similar problems with launching in low tide.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has committed €750,000 towards the work.

The extended Valentia harbour also has the potential for the development of a 220-berth marina, which would be a huge boost to tourism in the area.

The council is to seek a deputation to all relevant government departments with a view to getting some or all of the money it has spent on emergency coastal works reimbursed.

Separately, a number of leading Kerry golf clubs, including Ballybunion, Dooks and Waterville, are engaged in ongoing remedial work to tackle coastal erosion.